Chef Chat, Part 3: Bill Greenwood of Eddie V's Prime Seafood

Recently Eating Our Words caught up with Bill Greenwood of Eddie V's Prime Seafood to discuss food, fishing and fun; click here and here to read our chat with him. Today we examine how Greenwood puts all of these elements into play when cooking.

When we arrived at Eddie V's, Greenwood was literally up to his elbows in live sea urchins that he was preparing for the seafood tower, or "Tower of Power," as he affectionately calls it. Though the sea urchin were not quite ready for consumption by the time we began sampling Greenwood's culinary creations, we tried an excellent Hamachi Carpaccio. More commonly known as young yellowtail, the fish itself was amazingly fresh and buttery. But it was the little touches that took the dish from good to extraordinary. For instance, the thin slices of Hamachi were topped with small rings of Serrano peppers that gave the light fish a nice fiery kick. Then Greenwood sprinkled whole coriander seeds over the plate, which added a delightfully earthy crunch. Greenwood told us he's into seeds right now, and clearly he is using them to their best advantage.

Next we sampled some stone crab claws from the raw bar. A little squeeze of lemon, and we cracked into the succulent claws. The crab was sweet and flaky and paired perfectly with the accompanying creamy Béarnaise sauce.

Finally, we tried some pan-seared halibut and steamed littleneck clams that were served in a cherry tomato broth. This was the kind of dish that reminded us why we like seafood. The fish was rich, yet delicate enough that it did not require heavy butter and oil to flavor it. In fact, that would have weighed the dish down, ruining it. Instead, Greenwood cooked everything just enough to allow the best of the natural flavors to emerge and meld with one another. It was divine. As a fellow diner laughingly noted, "It's so good, it's like they sprinkle crack on it." If that's true, give me another hit.